The Omission of Chicago in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Hosting Cities
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway, promising to be the most significant soccer event in history. This tournament features 48 national teams competing across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. A record-breaking 104 matches are set across 16 stadiums. In contrast, the 2022 tournament in Qatar hosted only 64 games across eight venues.
The opening match features Mexico against South Africa at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on June 11. The final is scheduled for July 19 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Despite many cities hosting the 2026 games, Chicago is a notable absence. Known for its sports teams like the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, and White Sox, Chicago will not host any World Cup games. Former mayor Rahm Emanuel, who made this decision, explained his reasons in an interview with The Athletic.
“We were on the front end of the bad side and the back end of the good side,” Emanuel said. He questioned plans that would burden Chicago taxpayers. One contract clause, allowing FIFA to demand a dome over Soldier Field, became a significant issue. Emanuel resisted this potential $50-$100 million expense, which would fall on taxpayers.
“Not a chance am I going to have you tell me on a $50 to $100 million expense,” Emanuel stated, refusing to place city funds at risk without control over decisions.
Potential host cities needed to meet FIFA’s stringent standards. These include stadium upgrades, security arrangements, transportation facilities, tax exemptions on ticket sales, fan areas, and commercial exclusion zones. Chicago’s breaking point was the costly dome provision, leaving Emanuel unwilling to expose the city to such financial demands.
A statement from Chicago indicated FIFA’s inability to offer certainty on critical issues, with their rigidity in negotiations signaling it wasn’t in the city’s best interest to pursue the bid further.
With Chicago out, FIFA turned to other cities like Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, and San Francisco.